Research projects at USN must include a dedicated data management plan.
A data management plan is a document outlining how research data associated with a specific research project will be handled, both during and after the project. It often includes a description of the types of research data the project will work with. Ideally, such a plan should be created before the project starts and should detail how you intend to manage the research data throughout the different phases of the project.
Frequently asked questions:
How to create a data management plan?
USN recommends that you follow Sikt's guide on how to create a data management plan.
What should a data management plan contain?
See different examples on what a plan can contain:
Who has ownership of the data?
As a general rule, USN owns the research data generated in projects, unless otherwise specified. For more detailed information, see point 3 in our guidelines.
Are specific metadata standards used?
If the USN Research Data Archive is used for archiving project data, the applicable metadata standard is the DataCite Metadata Schema 3.1.
How will the data be documented?
Data will be documented by including a ReadMe file that explains the data, in addition to descriptive metadata in the archive solution's registration form.
Will project data be made available after the project ends?
Yes, unless the data is sensitive and cannot be anonymized, or there are other reasons why the data cannot be shared, research data will be made available in an appropriate repository.
Are specific access conditions/liscenses used?
Are backups of the databases in USN RDA taken?
- Yes, in the USN Research Data Archive, backups are systematically taken every night. If the project uses other solutions, it is important to ensure that the service performs backups of the data material.
What format should research data be stored in?
- You should archive your data in a format that is widely recognized within your research community and utilizes open, international standards.